This is not an easy statement for me to write. Somehow, I thought that
Martha would always be here. In my mind she was like Mt. Kilimanjaro, always
strong, always solid, always standing tall. I met Martha about 30 years
ago. She was a proud intelligent, irreverent black woman. She had a sharp
mind and an even sharper tongue. She wore her hair in a buck wild Afro,
and she wore her clothes like she did not give a damn. She was never into
trends and fashions; she wore torn jeans and sneakers with holes
way before it became fashionable. She didn't give a damn about appearances.
She cared about the essence of people and the essence of life. Martha loved
people. She had a deep special love for African people. She was always
analytical, always critical, but she supported our struggle for freedom
with all her heart and soul.

Martha Pitts was a revolutionary, and she loved revolutionaries. She
was a revolutionary who trusted her instincts, trusted her own eyes and
listened to her heart. She hated hypocrisy, and she hated empty rhetoric.
She despised injustice, she despised oppression, and whenever she was confronted
with them, she felt righteous indignation.

Martha was a woman of action. She had little patience with idle chatter.
She put everything on the line to live up to her convictions. Shortly after
I met Martha, I was forced to go underground. Even though she didn't know
me that well, she didn't hesitate when I asked for her help. She gave me
the keys to her apartment and vowed to hide and protect me. Those were
repressive and hellish times, when many revolutionaries were faced with
the terror of COINTELPRO.
She was tightlipped, she was serious as cancer, and she was not afraid
to take a stand. It is an understatement to say that I loved her with all
my heart.

During my years as a political prisoner, Martha Pitts did everything
she could to fight for my freedom and the freedom of other political prisoners.
She loved her some Sundiata
Acoli, and she fought like hell for his freedom too. Year after year,
she endured humiliating searches, police surveillance and police harassment
to make sure that we had a visitor, to make sure that someone cared, to
make sure that in the oven of that burning hell, there was a beautiful
black angel of mercy.

During all my trials and tribulations, Martha was there. When we needed
someone to do research, Martha did research. When we needed someone to
coordinate visits, Martha coordinated visits. When we needed someone to
analyze medical data, Martha analyzed medical data. Martha worked full
time as a nurse and she worked full time as a political activist. She was
totally committed to the struggle for social justice and totally committed
to the revolutionaries who were committed to the struggle for freedom.

Martha Pitts was always about keep it real. As we waited for the verdict
in New Jersey, a verdict from an all white jury, after a legal lynching
trial, Martha stroked my hair and told me, "Assata, you know those white
folks gonna convict you, you never had a chance." I didn't cry, I couldn't
express what I was feeling right then, but Martha held my hand and looked
deep into my eyes. "You gonna be freed one day, Assata.
You gonna be free." It was a miserable time in my life. It was a miserable
time in her life, but she made me believe it. What were my choices? Freedom
or death. What were her choices? Freedom or death. What were our choices?
Freedom or death.

Martha Pitts was a great human being. She received no Nobel Prize for
Peace, she received no freedom awards. But I can testify about how much
blood, sweat and tears she shed in our struggle for liberation. I know
how deeply Martha Pitts was loved. I know how lovingly she will be remembered.

Please, carry on her work! Please, carry on
her legacy! Please, carry on her love!

Liberate this planet from injustice! Liberate
this planet from oppression! Liberate this planet from exploitations! Liberate
this planet from pain!

FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL!FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLE!WE WILL BE FREE! WE WILL BE FREE !IN THE SPIRIT OF MARTHA PITTS LET US CARRY
THIS STRUGGLE ON!